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Dance of Life
Biodance, more commonly known as biodanza, literally means the dance of life.
It is described in Wikipedia as “a system of self-development that uses music, movement and positive feelings to deepen self-awareness. It seeks to promote the ability to make a holistic link to oneself, emotions and to express them. Biodanza also claims to allow one to deepen the bonds with others and nature and to express those feelings congenially.”
Biodanza was created in Chile in the 1960s and is now practiced in at least 30 countries.
To analyse the effects of an aquatic biodance based therapy on sleep quality, anxiety, depression, pain and quality of life in FM patients, researchers assigned 59 patients to 2 groups: experimental group (aquatic biodance) and control group (stretching), for 12 weeks.
Significant differences in the experimental group were seen on sleep quality (49.7%), anxiety (14.1%), impact of fibromyalgia (18.3%), pain (27.9%), and tender points (34.4%).
This video discusses and demonstrates what Biodanza is all about.
In this next video, Biodanza is performed in the water. Although the voice on the video is speaking Portuguese, you can still see what Aquatic Biodanza looks like even if you don’t understand Portuguese.
Anyone tried this one yet?
Pull the Trigger
Trigger point injections (TPI) is an option many of us choose to treat pain.
TPI is a procedure used to treat painful areas of muscle that contain trigger points, or knots of muscle that form when muscles do not relax. Many times, such knots can be felt under the skin. Trigger points may irritate the nerves around them and cause referred pain, or pain that is felt in another part of the body.
TPI is used to treat many muscle groups, especially those in the arms, legs, lower back, and neck. In addition, TPI can be used to treat FM and tension headaches. The technique is also used to alleviate myofascial pain syndrome that does not respond to other treatments.
What Happens During a Trigger Point Injection?
In the TPI procedure, a health care professional inserts a small needle into the patient’s trigger point. The injection contains a local anesthetic that sometimes includes a corticosteroid. With the injection, the trigger point is made inactive and the pain is alleviated. Usually, a brief course of treatment will result in sustained relief.
Injections are given in a doctor’s office and usually take just a few minutes. Several sites may be injected in one visit. If a patient has an allergy to a certain drug, a dry-needle technique (involving no medications) can be used.
The effectiveness of TPI for treating myofascial pain is still under study.
Further Reading:
Blast Off -2 days
Two days until the beginning of the hospital visit (again!)
When we (the Team: my pain specialist, Mommy and me) decided we were going to try this ketamine thing again, my doctor suggested we put in a central line instead of trying to find veins for a cannula.
You might remember I had a lot of trouble with cannulae last time: 6 wonderful needles into my veins instead of what should have been only 2 or 3, and then, finally, a subcutaneous cannula in my tummy – to which I had a horrible reaction. So you can imagine how happy I was to hear that this wasn’t going to happen again.
In fact, I was so happy that I didn’t bother to ask any questions…off to Google I go, and now I’m a bit worried…
A temporary central line is a short-term, long, fine catheter placed in a vein, with an opening at each end used to deliver fluids and drugs. The central line is inserted through the skin into a large vein that feeds into a larger vein sitting above the heart, so that the tip of the catheter sits close to the heart. There are several veins that are suitable for access, and the line may be inserted above or below the collarbone, on the side of your neck, in your groin or at the front of the elbow. The actual skin entry site depends on which vein is used. AAAARGGHHHHH! I am really hoping they choose above the elbow – I seem to have gotten that impression from the doctor.
So, at 9am on Wednesday morning, I am expected to arrive at the Radiology department of one hospital, where an interventional radiologist will use x-ray and ultrasound guidance along with minimally invasive techniques to insert a special hollow needle. Supposedly, I will be under conscious sedation (a twilight sleep) and be given pain medication in order to minimize any discomfort. Bit, it really is beginning to sound VERY scary!
A tourniquet will be applied to my arm (hopefully – I really don’t like the idea of a needle going anywhere near my neck!) and the area is cleaned and draped; a local anaesthetic is injected into the skin near the vein. The catheter will be inserted through the needle, threaded through the vein and positioned so the tip of the catheter is in the large vein that carries blood into the heart.
Next, about 3 hours later (or so I’ve been told, although my Google searches says it only takes an hour), I will go to another hospital. No, blood will NOT be gushing from the protruding tube! When the line is not in use, a plastic cap and a clamp to prevent leaking of blood close any part of the line that sits outside the body. It should be secured with a “Stat lock” device (ie without stitches), and can be left in position for several weeks to months as long as it does not become infected. Thank God I only have to have it in for a week!
And, then, the ketamine experience will begin again…
Lab Rats Wanted
Are you willing to put your body on the line? Or might you be at the end of your tether and willing to try anything?
As it is beyond me to list EVERY research study on FM, here are all the studies that are currently recruiting in the top 6 countries where my blog is being read:
*** If you live in another country, visit ClinicalTrials.gov, then enter your country and ‘fibromyalgia’ in the search box…you never know what you might find ***
Australia
NIL
Canada
A Phase 3b Multicenter Study of Pregabalin in Fibromyalgia Subjects Who Have Comorbid Depression
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Pregabalin; Drug: placebo
The Impact of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements on Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Dietary Supplement: Omega-3 (oil); Dietary Supplement: Fatty Acids (placebo)
Online Acceptance-based Behavioural Treatment for Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Behavioural: Acceptance-based behavioural therapy; Other: Will vary per participant
India
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: placebo; Drug: pregabalin (Lyrica)
A Study of Duloxetine in Adolescents With Juvenile Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Duloxetine; Drug: Placebo
Pregabalin In Adolescent Patients With Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: pregabalin
Israel
Prevalence of Fibromyalgia in Israel
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions:
Effect of Milnacipran in Patients With Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Minalcipran; Drug: Placebo
Peripheral Arterial Tonometry (PAT) Evaluation of Sleep in Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions:
Study Assessing the Efficacy of Etoricoxib in Female Patients With Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: etoricoxib
Cognitive Dysfunction in Fibromyalgia Patients
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions:
United Kingdom
NIL
United States of America
Observational Study of Control Participants for the MAPP Research Network
Conditions: Fibromyalgia; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,
Interventions:
Pain and Stress Management for Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Behavioural: Stress and Emotions; Behavioural: Thoughts and Behaviours; Behavioural: Brain and Body
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: placebo; Drug: pregabalin (Lyrica)
A Phase 3b Multicenter Study of Pregabalin in Fibromyalgia Subjects Who Have Comorbid Depression
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Pregabalin; Drug: placebo
A Study of Duloxetine in Adolescents With Juvenile Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Duloxetine; Drug: Placebo
Pregabalin In Adolescent Patients With Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Pregabalin
Combined Behavioural and Analgesic Trial for Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Tramadol; Drug: Placebo; Behavioural: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for FM; Behavioural: Health Education
Quetiapine Compared With Placebo in the Management of Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: quetiapine; Drug: Placebo
Cyclobenzaprine Extended Release (ER) for Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia; Pain; Sleep; Fatigue
Interventions: Drug: cyclobenzaprine ER (AMRIX); Drug: placebo
Tai Chi and Aerobic Exercise for Fibromyalgia (FMEx)
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Behavioural: Lower frequency, shorter period of Tai Chi; Behavioural: Higher frequency, shorter period of Tai Chi; Behavioural: Shorter frequency, longer period of Tai Chi; Behavioural: Higher frequency, longer period of Tai Chi; Behavioural: Aerobic Exercise Training
Effects of Direct Transcranial Current Stimulation on Central Neural Pain Processing in Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Procedure: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)
Lifestyle Physical Activity to Reduce Pain and Fatigue in Adults With Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Behavioural: Lifestyle physical activity (LPA); Behavioural: Fibromyalgia education
Neurotropin to Treat Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Neurotropin
Effect of Milnacipran on Pain in Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Neurotropin
Investigation of Avacen Thermal Exchange System for Fibromyalgia Pain
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Device: AVACEN Thermal Exchange System
Phase 2 Study of TD-9855 to Treat Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: TD-9855 Group 1; Drug: TD-9855 Group 2; Drug: Placebo
Cymbalta for Fibromyalgia Pain
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Duloxetine
Effects of Milnacipran on Widespread Mechanical and Thermal Hyperalgesia of Fibromyalgia Patients
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Milnacipran
Qigong Exercise May Benefit Patients With Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Behavioural: Intervention Group; Behavioural: Placebo Comparator: Control Group
Effect of Temperature on Pain and Brown Adipose Activity in Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia, Pain
Interventions:
Effect of Milnacipran in Patients With Fibromyalgia
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Drug: Minalcipran; Drug: Placebo
The Pathogenesis of Idiopathic Dry Eyes
Conditions: Dry Eye, Fibromyalgia
Interventions:
Evaluation and Diagnosis of People With Pain and Fatigue Syndromes
Conditions: Fatigue; Fibromyalgia; Pain; Complex Regional Pain Syndrome; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
Interventions:
The Functional Neuroanatomy of Catastrophizing: an fMRI Study
Conditions: Fibromyalgia
Interventions: Behavioural: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy; Behavioural: Education
A Placebo-Controlled Trial of Pregabalin (Lyrica) for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Conditions: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Interventions: Drug: Pregabalin (Lyrica); Drug: Placebo
Happiness is Having a Scratch for Every Itch
Do you find yourself scratching all the time?
Do you have dry, itchy skin?
Have you developed itchy skin rashes?
Maybe you have back itch?
Or itching ears?
Or maybe you sometimes even feel that horrible itching sensation all over – as if there are ants crawling all over your body…
Itching is just one of a number of symptoms that FM sufferers are lucky enough to suffer. And it’s apparently one of the most common skin problems .
Not only can itching be uncomfortable but it can also be one of those things that prevents you from getting the sleep you need at night. And we have enough trouble as it is!
Why Is Itching Such a Problem When you have Fibromyalgia?
Apparently (and unsurprisingly, when it comes to FM), the medical profession aren’t quite sure! But something they do know, is why this type of itching occurs…
You see, it’s got to do with how your body interprets your pain signals and it’s otherwise known as a sensory itch. The receptors in the outer layer of your skin are responsible for translating the amount of pressure it receives. These pressures can be translated into pain, for example. But when these receptors come across an unfamiliar pressure, they revert to the ‘default signal’: Itching!
What Can You Do to Ease the Itching Sufferer?
- Capsaicin. This topical pain reliever depletes your cells of their pain messengers, essentially forcing them to stop complaining. Tread softly with this one at first, though — it has a burn that’s too intense for some people. (More about capsaicin.)
- Ice. Cooling the area can relieve any inflammation that may be putting pressure on the nerve, but most importantly it can deaden the feeling. (Learn to ice properly.)
- Pain killers. For the itch itself, acetaminophen is the one that’s most likely to help with nerve pain. Again, if the nerve pain is a result of inflammation, anti-inflammatories may help as well. Some common over-the-counter drugs that contain acetaminophen:
Actifed®- Anacin®
- Benadryl®
- Cepacol®
- Contac®
- Coricindin®
- Dayquil®
- Dimetapp®
- Dristan®
- Elixir®
- Excedrin®
- Feverall®
- Formula 44®
- Goody’s® Powders
- Liquiprin®
- Midol®
- Nyquil®
- Panadol®
- Robitussin®
- Saint Joseph® Aspirin-Free
- Singlet®
- Sinutab®
- Sudafed®
- Theraflu®
- Triaminic®
- TYLENOL® Brand Products
- Vanquish®
- Vicks®
- Zicam®
- Calming the nervous system. Certain supplements (theanine, rhodiola), medications (Xyrem, Valium, Xanax), acupuncture, and yoga and meditation may all help keep your nerves from being hypersensitive and causing these kinds of sensations.
Talk to your doctor. He/she may be able to help with a treatment or prescription drug.
Related articles
- Scientists Uncover Itch-Specific Nerve Cells In Skin (medicalnewstoday.com)
- Itching may be a form of pain, study says (foxnews.com)
- Mysterious Itch Cells Found (livescience.com)
Riding the Wave – Part 2
…and continuing from yesterday’s post…
5. Create a new self.
If we hang on tightly to the “old self” we were, finding the value of our “new self” becomes increasingly difficult. (You may even exaggerate how fit that person was: “I didn’t need any sleep, I never felt bad, I could do anything!”).
This does not mean we should totally discard our previous conception of self; rather, we need to find a way to integrate the two. In other words, you should seek to find in your new body new ways to enjoy and experience the things that you had done before. Consider all the aspects of yourself that you like, and the things that you most want to do; then step by step, find ways to achieve as many of these as you can. At the same time, recognize that your expectations must shift so that you can once again meet them.
6. Don’t forget the good stuff.
While the physical symptoms of FM can feel all-encompassing, there should be other parts of your life – your social relationships, passions, family – that also exist. By focusing on the positive aspects of your life, you become more aware of how many there are: the friends that stuck by you, the things you still enjoy, and the accomplishments you have been able to make, however small, under very different conditions. Because each task now represents a challenge, we should celebrate whatever we manage to accomplish. As we have been told many times, if we shorten the list and pace ourselves, whatever we do eventually adds up to something to be very proud of.
7. “Oy, it could be worse.” (The Jewish mantra).
As comparisons shape our view, it is helpful to find comparisons that will provide a fuller appreciation for what has befallen us. OK, the ‘eat because children are starving in (fill in the developing country)’ did not work for you as a child. But try to think of it this way: Many bad things happen in the world. The odds are that some of them will happen to you. Not because of anything that you have done, but because, as the saying goes, shit happens. It takes only a short view of the evening news to remind ourselves of the horrors occurring every day. So, this is what has happened to you – you, too, were caught. Let us examine what we have:
- We know our condition is not terminal, so we need not begin contemplating our pending mortality.
- As bad as we sometimes feel, our underlying condition is not going to get worse. We have already experienced the worst, and, to our credit, have gotten through it.
- Although only a few people achieve permanent remission, many improve significantly. As we understand how our actions and emotions influence our general well-being, we can find ways to partake in more and more activities.
8. Keep the hope alive!
There is so much room for hope. It has only been since the 1990s that our condition has acquired any legitimacy from the medical community (okay, mostly!). We are in a far better position than the generations before us who suffered without ever receiving validation. We know much more about the important roles of exercise, medication, stretching, pacing and meditation to bring relief and a sense of control. Furthermore, as medical research increases, it is only a matter of time before better therapies (and perhaps even a cure!) are introduced.
9. Lean on me!
A single most important predictor of how we do is the support network we create. We certainly appreciate what it means when someone helps us when we feel especially lousy. Make sure that, within your abilities, you continue to be a good friend to those you care about. We still have lots to give. During a good moment, write to a friend that you are thinking about her. Help your family and friends find ways to maintain their relationship with you. Invite them to your place to eliminate travelling (and do not worry what your place looks like! They came to see you, not your house-cleaning abilities).
Try to be open with family members, while at the same time supportive of their needs. Put yourself in their shoes as often as possible – it can be scary to have someone you love be sick! Also make sure to seek help outside of your immediate circle so as not to drain your closest friends and family. There are now all sorts of support groups, both live and in virtual computer space (hey! Right here!)
10. Indulge whenever you can.
We have lots of time to focus on our thoughts. Most people do not have the luxury of taking time to relax and think. OK, we did not ask for these ‘time-outs.’ They are demanded by the needs of our bodies. Nevertheless, we have control over how we use this extra time.
Instead of dwelling on what our bodies are not doing, give your fantasy life full freedom. Turn these rest periods around to be indulgent time. In our mental playground, we can practice dance steps we used to know (for there WILL be some times we can dance!). We can use the time to think through problems we face and how we want to spend time when we are feeling ready, or we can analyse a movie we recently saw, say prayers, or mentally write a letter to a friend.
Meanwhile improvements in spirit have an added impact on our entire well-being. Laughter is good medicine; while dwelling on our troubles tends to compound them.
Related articles
Riding the Wave – Part 1
Have a positive attitude!
How many times have we heard that one?
While our emotions cannot cause FM, they no doubt affect our symptoms. But how can we maintain good thoughts when we feel so lousy? This challenge, of course, does not exclusively affect FM patients, but to any time when things do not go as we wish. But in our case, seeing the positive presents a continuous struggle.
Yet our moods are not necessarily in tune with our physical state. You can probably recall times that despite much pain or fatigue, you were able to cope and even achieve high spirits. Perhaps the weather was perfect, good friends visited, you just accomplished something or helped somebody, making you feel good about yourself. Other times, depression seems to take hold even when our physical discomfort is at a manageable level. Why is this? Answering this question is the key to finding optimism.
FM can feel like a swim in the ocean – sometimes it is dark, grey and turbulent, and it seems you have fallen and the waves continue to crash over you, as you struggle to rise, only to be knocked down yet again. But that same ocean sometimes allows us to find a wave we can ride smoothly to the shore.
What can we do when we feel under the waves? How can we find the strength to climb back on top, and the patience to know that we will?
There are 10 cognitive exercises you can use to maintain a positive attitude. So I don’t overload you, today I will only present 4 and the remaining exercises will continue in tomorrow’s post.
1. Expect bumps!
It is important to acknowledge that we will sometimes feel down. Who wouldn’t in our condition? But by expecting rather than dreading down time, such periods become more tolerable. In addition, recognizing that we will have blue periods helps keep them in perspective. You will be able to say to yourself, “I was depressed before, and got out of it; this time, too, it will pass.” It is easy to forget that before our illness, there were times we felt down. Now these periods are wrapped up in our medical problems; but everyone gets depressed some of the time. After accepting that you will sometimes feel sad, and even experience self-pity, you can concentrate on ways to shorten these periods and make them fewer and farther between.
2. Track the changes.
Keeping track of moods helps put ups and downs into perspective. During your best times, make a conscious attempt to capture the feeling. Leave notes on your wall attesting to the way you feel. Living with FM easily creates a Jekyll-and-Hyde persona, where your optimistic self and your flare-up self may as well be two different people. When we feel bad, it becomes quite difficult to imagine that things can be otherwise.
Similarly, during times of improvement, it’s amazing how quickly we may forget how bad a previous period was, making subsequent flare-ups not only intolerable but shocking. Counting and measuring the duration of the bad times – as well as the good ones – can put them into perspective. It may be that over time, our worst occurs about once a month, although it feels much more frequent. This knowledge is empowering, because we can remind ourselves that a bad flare is, for example, our monthly temporary setback, and find ways to ride it out until our baseline returns.
3. Stock-pile fun distractions.
What things make you happy? We all need to keep lists of the things that make us happy. One of the cruelties of our condition is that when we need distractions most, we are least equipped to seek them out. For this reason it is important to compile a list of your favourite activities when you are feeling optimistic to be used when you most need them.
People with FM often describe how even their worst pain can be put on a back burner, so to speak, when they become engrossed in an activity. This is not only a psychological but a physiological response: your brains can only process so much input at once. When you are engrossed in a beautiful movie, talking to a good friend on the phone, or listening to your favourite music while lying on a heating pad or in the bathtub, you can trick your pain receptors into leaving you alone!
4. Shape your perspective.
Is the glass half empty or half full?
Perspective determines, quite literally, how you view the world.
In Western culture, much emphasis is placed on independence, individualism, and achievement. Through this lens, developing a condition that makes us feel dependent and less productive is likely to be a huge disappointment. You are forced to adapt to a sudden, new condition by adopting a perspective that accommodates change. Your perspective is shaped by the comparisons you make and the expectations you create.
Consider, for example, the immigrant who had been practicing medicine in his home country, but flees to the US to escape a repressive political regime. Here he works as a janitor; after years of medical study, he has lost a prestigious and rewarding occupation. Yet he is thankful for the opportunity to work and wakes each day driven by hope, perhaps, of a better future for his children. Yet his difficulties are also quite apparent. What keeps his spirits up and makes him thankful rather than bitter? His perspective.
…to be continued tomorrow…
Abracadabra Update 2
Guess what? I’m going back to hospital for another ketamine infusion on January 30th. Yes, I’m doing it to myself AGAIN!
This time, my own pain specialist is going to run the whole procedure; it’s a different hospital, which means different nurses; and we’re going up to a higher dose.
My headaches are still under control but it feels like the previous infusion stopped at my elbows and knees – the pain in my wrists, lower arms, calves and ankles feels amplified. My head is clear – there are still no words in it! And I still haven’t adjusted to the difference in my energy levels and fatigue on-set.
But, I’m hopeful (sort of)….and it’s seven days in hospital – so I will be trying to quit smoking AGAIN!
Related articles
- Abracadabra Update (fibromodem.wordpress.com)
- Abracadabra! And the Pain has Disappeared
Doctor: Fibro? No, You Have a Mental Disorder!
Do you:
- have a disproportionate thoughts about the seriousness of your symptom(s)?
- have a high level of anxiety about your symptoms or health?
- Devote excessive time and energy to your symptoms or health concerns?
Almost everyone who has FM has had at least one of these reactions – especially during the time before you get an accurate diagnosis. It would be unusual not to have serious concerns about your health when you’re experiencing symptoms severe enough to disrupt your daily life and you don’t know what is causing them.
Well, guess what? You might have a mental disorder, according to the soon to be released 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), commonly known as the DSM-5.
The DSM is published by the American Psychiatric Association and is the standard classification of mental disorders. It includes the diagnostic codes, a set of diagnostic criteria and additional information on each disorder.
The problem with the DSM-5 is there is a new diagnostic category called “Somatic Symptom Disorder.” According to the diagnostic criteria, a person can be diagnosed with Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) if for at least six months, they have had one or more symptoms that are distressing and/or disruptive to their daily life, and they have one of above listed reactions.
According to these criteria, 1 in 6 people with cancer and heart disease; 1 in 4 with irritable bowel and FM; and 1 in 14 who are not even medically ill, will be diagnosed with SSD. Are you kidding me?!?
For us, this could mean that if any one doctor at any point in time feels like you’re a little too concerned about your symptoms or your health, he/she can diagnose you with SSD and you will forever after be labelled as having a mental disorder. And once you have that label, how seriously do you think other doctors are going to take your symptoms? How much time do you think doctors will spend trying to identify the physical cause of your pain if they think you have a mental disorder that makes you overly concerned about your health?
Dr Allen Frances
DSM-5 is about to go to the printers and is scheduled to be released in May 2013 – Our best hope is through Allen Frances, MD, who was the chair of the DSM-4 Task Force. Dr Frances suggested simple wording changes in the DSM 5 definition of SSD that would have tightened it significantly and reduced confusion at the difficult boundary between medical and mental illness.
His proposed new criteria set would have made it much clearer that the person’s concern about physical symptoms had to be ‘excessive’, ‘maladaptive’, ‘pervasive’, ‘persistent’, ‘intrusive’, ‘extremely anxiety provoking’, ‘disproportionate’, and ‘consuming enough time to cause significant disruption and impairment in daily life’. He has written an excellent article in Psychology Today on the dangers of adding SSD to the DSM-5: Mislabeling Medical Illness As Mental Disorder.
We need to get the press, insurance companies, and our elected officials involved in this issue. If Dr Frances can show the press that thousands of people are reading and commenting on his articles, the press may be persuaded to take an interest in this issue.
Elected officials and insurance companies may take an interest if they can be made to see that a diagnosis of SSD will lead to added Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurance costs in the form of unneeded therapy and psychotropic drugs. In addition, this misdiagnosis raises the risk that underlying physical causes of an illness will be ignored and this may lead to an illness going undiagnosed until the point when treatment will result in even more costly medical care. This will drive up health care costs for both government and insurance companies.
If you want to get involved, here’s what you can do: share this article with others; contact members of the press (especially medical reporters such as Drs Sanjay Gupta or Nancy Snyderman); and contact your elected officials. I encourage you to click on the link to his article, make a brief comment, tweet his article and/or share it on Facebook, to support his stand. The more page views and comments he has, the better his chance of persuading the editors of the DSM-5 to make a last-minute change.
Dr David Kupfer – Task Force Chair
Dr Joel Dimsdale – Head of the Somatic Symptom Disorders Work Group.
Additionally, you can contact Dr David J. Kupfer – the Task Force Chair at kupferdj@upmc.edu. Dr Joel E. Dimsdale – head of the Somatic Symptom Disorders Work Group – can be contacted at jdimsdale@ucsd.edu.
Related articles
- DSM-5 rejects call for urgent reconsideration of new “Somatic Symptom Disorder” category (dxrevisionwatch.com
- Your Physical Illness May Now Be Labeled a Mental Disorder
- DSM-5 rejects call for urgent reconsideration of new “Somatic Symptom Disorder” category
- Bad News: DSM 5 Refuses to Correct Somatic Symptom Disorder
- Fibromyalgia in Danger of Being Labeled a Mental Disorder
Exciting Toxins
According to a new study in Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology, monosodium glutamate (MSG) in food may exacerbate our symptoms.
It was only a small study of 37 people: it included women with FM and IBS. Participants first avoided MSG and other excitotoxins (see below,) such as aspartame. Thirty one of the participants said that their symptom load was reduced by more than 30%.
Next, participants were given either orange juice with added MSG or plain juice (as a placebo,) three days a week, for two weeks. Those getting the MSG had a significant return of symptoms when compared to those who didn’t.
MSG also appeared to decrease quality of life when it came to IBS symptoms, and symptoms such as watery stools and abdominal bloating were higher in the MSG group.
Researchers recommend further exploration of what could be a relatively simple and low-cost, non-drug method of alleviating symptoms.
Avoiding Excitotoxins
It can be tough to avoid excitotoxins in your diet. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used in a wealth of products. It goes by the brand names Equal, NutraSweet, AminoSweet, etc. but should always be listed as aspartame in the ingredients list. Check your ‘diet’ products closely.
MSG is harder to identify and avoid, as it lurks in dozens of ingredients. The organization Truth in Labelling has a list of ingredients that do or may contain MSG: List of Ingredients Containing MSG.
Related articles
- Aspartame: the Controversy! (outoftheboxremedies.net)
- Aspartame Can Kill You (healthupdates4u.wordpress.com)
- ASPARTAME…What Is It and Is It Good For You???? (coalitionofpositiveenergy.com)
